Audit leads to questions about HPD overtime spending, Houston Chronicle report shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Day and night, Houston Police Department officers are seen across the city on the front lines, from patrolling streets to responding to crime.

With that high demand comes overtime, and the department is shelling out a lot of it. According to an analysis by theby the Houston Chronicle, HPD paid $37 million in overtime to 129 employees from 2020 to 2025. The analysis shows the top six earned more than half a million dollars in overtime during that time span.

The Chronicle started tracking the numbers after receiving an HPD audit from the 2022 fiscal year. That audit showed that 26 officers received more than $70,000 in overtime, but raised questions about how those hours were tracked.

"Of those 26 officers that they look at, for 77% of them, they could not come up with the original record for all of their overtime," Houston Chronicle reporter Matt deGrood said.

The Chronicle reports that, according to auditors, the issue stemmed from several factors. Different divisions within the department had their own way of tracking hours; some records weren't shared when officers worked outside their unit, and in one case, overtime was submitted under the wrong officer's name.

Despite the issues, auditors said they found no wrongdoing.

"It is not that, everybody is stealing money, but there's a whole bunch of records that they weren't able to get access to," deGrood said.

This comes as the city is already working on ways to control spending. In February, ABC13 reported HPD was on track to exceed its overtime budget by $13.2 million.

ABC13 did reach out to the city for comment on overtime spending, a spokesperson sent a statement from Houston Mayor John Whitmire that reads:

"Historically, overtime requests for the Houston Police Department have been driven by major storms, special events, and protests. These are services that are needed and requested by Houstonians. I believe failing to adequately fund HPD overtime is equivalent to defunding the police."

My administration is closely monitoring overtime and expects it to be used appropriately. It is difficult to forecast personnel needs for events like storms, protests, and parades, that are beyond the City's control and have increased in recent years.

During my administration, HPD has increased the number of officers by more than 800, bringing the department to 5,400 officers. That is the highest level ever.

"The use of overtime is a public safety issue for both the Houston Police Department and the Houston Fire Department, and public safety remains my highest priority," Whitmire said.